Zep (FRA:14Z) Operating Margin % : 1.64% (As of Feb. 2015)

Zep Operating Margin % Chart

Zep Annual Data
	Trend	Aug05	Aug06	Aug07	Aug08	Aug09	Aug10	Aug11	Aug12	Aug13	Aug14
Operating Margin %		Get a 7-Day Free Trial					4.20	5.14	5.86	4.76	4.71

Zep Quarterly Data
	May10	Aug10	Nov10	Feb11	May11	Aug11	Nov11	Feb12	May12	Aug12	Nov12	Feb13	May13	Aug13	Nov13	Feb14	May14	Aug14	Nov14	Feb15
Operating Margin %	Get a 7-Day Free Trial															1.73	6.17	6.03	4.37	1.64

Competitive Comparison of Zep's Operating Margin %

For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Zep's Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.

Zep's Operating Margin % Distribution in the Chemicals Industry

For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Zep's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Zep's Operating Margin % falls into.

Zep Operating Margin % Calculation

Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.

Zep's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Aug. 2014 is calculated as

Zep's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2015 is calculated as

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Zep  (FRA:14Z) Operating Margin % Explanation

Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.

Be Aware

Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).

If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.

For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokia’s Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).

Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.

Zep Operating Margin % Related Terms

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Zep (FRA:14Z) Business Description